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CATL Promises M3P Cells For 2023, But What Are They?

Our readers are already aware of lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) cells. On July 13, we told them that CATL announced it had developed them and was ready to manufacture these new cells by the end of the year. At the 2022 World EV & ES Battery Conference, the Chinese battery maker said it will sell M3P batteries in 2023, but they are not LMFP.
Wu Kai, CATL's chief scientist, talks a bit about M3P cells at the 2022 World EV & ES Battery Conference 12 photos
Photo: CATL/CNEVPost
Wu Kai, CATL's chief scientist, talks a bit about M3P cells at the 2022 World EV & ES Battery ConferenceWu Kai, CATL's chief scientist, talks a bit about M3P cells at the 2022 World EV & ES Battery ConferenceWu Kai, CATL's chief scientist, talks a bit about M3P cells at the 2022 World EV & ES Battery ConferenceCATL Choco-SEB battery pack moduleCATLCATL LFP CellsCATL LFP CellsCATL LFP CellsCATL LFP CellsCATL states its Kirin battery pack will present more energy density than one made with 4680 cellsCATL's CTP 3.0 battery pack, the Qilin
The latter is an evolution of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells. CATL found a way to add manganese to the formula, increasing its potential energy density to 230 Wh/kg. Although they use the LFP structure and manganese as well, the M3P cells are different.

According to CNEVPost, the M3P cells use the same olivine structure as LFP batteries. However, it replaces iron at some points with magnesium, zinc, and aluminum. We are not sure if the Chinese website meant manganese instead of magnesium, but the information has not been corrected, so we will reproduce it as CNEVPost reported it. The website stated that the information comes from Shengang Securities, a Chinese investment company.

These other metals generated a ternary material in the phosphate system that improves energy density, charge/discharge capability, and cycle stability. It is not clear if the M3P cells also present the same durability qualities as LFP cells. Some of them can last 1.2 million kilometers (745,645.4 miles). CATL itself promised batteries that could stand 2 million km (1,242,742 mi) due to a "unique self-healing long-life technology" the company developed. The M3P cells may also adopt it.

CATL said that battery packs with the new M3P cells could offer more than 700 km (435 mi) of range, which is something you can only fully understand if you know how big it is and in which vehicle it is installed. A sleek electric sedan would travel much further than an electric pickup truck based solely on aerodynamics.

The Chinese company is yet to release more information on the M3P cells. When it does, we will try to understand what is behind the new chemistry and how it can impact the EV market. From the little that CATL shared, it seems a pretty promising technology.
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About the author: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
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Motoring writer since 1998, Gustavo wants to write relevant stories about cars and their shift to a sustainable future.
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